A low-cost device for cryoanesthesia of neonatal rodents

Abstract

Studying the development of neural circuits in rodent models requires surgical access to the neonatal brain. Since commercially available stereotaxic and anesthetic equipment is designed for use in adults, reliable targeting of brain structures in such young animals can be challenging. Hypothermic cooling (cryoanesthesia) has been used as a preferred anesthesia approach in neonates. This commonly involves submerging neonates in ice, an approach that is poorly controllable and potentially stressful to animals. We have developed an affordable, simple to construct device - CryoPup - that allows for fast and robust cryoanesthesia of rodent pups. CryoPup consists of a microcontroller controlling a Peltier element and a heat exchanger. It is capable of both cooling and heating, thereby also functioning as a heating pad during recovery. Importantly, it has been designed for size compatibility with common stereotaxic frames. This open-source device will facilitate future studies into the development of neural circuits in the postnatal brain.

Impact of Degeneration of the Prelimbic and Infralimbic Cortices on Psychomotor Activity and Cognitive Func-tion in Rats Stereotaxically Injected with Ibotenate

“…It has proven to be a great tool in neuroscience research (7) . Additionally, compared to traditional surgery, digital stereotaxic surgery is superior since it performs more quickly and with less chance of human error (8,9) . Ibotenate, a potent neurotoxin derived from the amanita muscaria plant and employed as a potent brainlesioning agent, was used in the current work to cause PrL and IFL degeneration (10) .…”